Our Savior Lutheran Church

Dear Members of the Our Savior Lutheran Church Email Prayer Chain,

Love is a Decision

Every one then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house upon the rock; and the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. --Matthew 7:24-25

We are presently in prime wedding season – May and June. I've attended many weddings among my friends’ and family’s children in past years. Most memorial have been the weddings of my three sons. I’ve even had the privilege of participating in the weddings of some of those young adults whose lives I’ve been a part of since they were children.

These weddings have been the kind of weddings girls dream of throughout childhood. They’ve been full of sunlight, laughter, dancing, friends, family, flowers, flowing dresses, historic landscapes, and handsome men in tuxes.

In the midst of these fairy tale weddings, though, I’ve found myself absorbed in the vows more than the frills of the celebration. Watching these young couples pledge their lives to one another somehow transcends the romance of the wedding day. The joining of two lives until death is so sublime many have questioned if such love can truly last or if the idea of finding one’s soul mate is just as much a fairy tale as the wedding day itself.

But many a seasoned couple will tell the cynics that while feelings of passion may have initially fueled their decision to marry, much of the success of married life depends not on the whims of feelings or the circumstances of life, but on the free will choice to be together and stay together, to choose to love each other. To quote the pastor’s words during a traditional wedding ceremony, these couples “come freely and without reservation” to each other not just on the first day, but every day of life. And while this daily decision to love the other does not always come easily, sometimes they might not even like each other at the moment, combined with God's grace, it allows two people to experience intimacy that surpasses all other human relationships.

You’ve seen them – older couples who have twinkles in their eyes and cherish their years together.

As I’ve watched these newly married couples begin their journeys, I couldn’t help but ponder how God’s design for earthly marriage mirrors our faith walk. Marriage, after all, is one of the most profound symbols found throughout the Old and New Testaments.

Just as couples must enter freely into marriage, Christ freely suffered and died for us, and in turn, our faith journey begins with our God freely gifting us with His grace. And just as the initial commitment on the altar requires daily decisions to love for the marriage to thrive, our response to God’s gift of grace leads to a series of decisions to love God and continue to walk in the faith made possible only through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Look again at the words above. Notice the emphasis Christ puts on our actions, our will. Even when the storms of life beat us down, our desire to remain committed to Christ and the Christian life will keep us connected to God, helping us navigate the unknowns. And ultimately, the decision to love will allow each one of us to know divine love that surpasses all human relationships.

You’ve seen them – individuals facing death or old age with twinkles in their eyes and peace in their hearts.
Perhaps you’re going through a dark time where God feels distant. In a culture that increasingly sees divorce as no big deal, you may be finding the decision to stay on the narrow path of faith, to daily choose virtue over vice, exhausting and even foreign.

The good news is that no matter how weather-beaten we get on our journey, God is the perfect Spouse, forever faithful and forever walking beside us even when we stray from the original path. His unwavering grace and love are always available to us, and He welcomes us with open arms when we come home.

REFLECTION

Just as God gives spouses the gift of each other in marriage, I’ve found God often works through others to encourage us in our faith. Think about the people He’s placed in your life right now. Is there someone who needs you to walk along side them for support? Or perhaps you’re struggling. Take comfort in knowing that storms are normal, and God especially treasures our decision to remain faithful when the decision is made during tough times. 

PRAYER REQUESTS -- Week of May 16, 2010  

FOR THOSE WHO LOOK TO THE LORD FOR HEALING:

Marilyn Lose              Recovering from surgery for a brain tumor this past Thursday.
Frank & Rosina Walker        Frank is recovering from another surgery; prayers for spiritual uplifting and peace for both Frank and Rosina.
Caron Fausel             Recovering from knee-replacement surgery this past Wednesday.
Rev. Tim Anderson   [Former pastor at OSLC] recovering from prostate surgery.
Amy Velez                  [Daughter of Harvey and Billy] for healing and patience after from knee surgery.
Paul Mattson              [Nephew of Beverly Silletto] continuing therapy and recovery from spinal surgery. 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. --2 Peter 1:2-4

In Christ,
Paul Nickel
Director Of Christian Education
Our Savior Lutheran Church